The federal [Australian] government employee, who cannot be identified, was injured when a glass light fitting came away from the wall above the bed as she was having sex with a man on November 26, 2007.

The light struck her in the face, leaving her with injuries to her nose, mouth and a tooth, as well as “a consequent psychiatric injury”, described as an adjustment disorder.

This appears to be a workers’ compensation claim. (Maybe, one of my Aussie readers can confirm). The employee claimed that she is entitled to compensation because she was injured “during the course of her employment” as if “she had been sent to a country town to stay the night ahead of a meeting early the next day.”

Her attorney claimed, “This is no different than slipping over in the shower or being bashed by a gang of thugs after a dispute over a woman.”

Of course, not.

And, if I didn’t have oral argument tomorrow, maybe I’d test the bounds of Pennsylvania law with a blindfold and a bottle of Old Grand Dad.

*** Let’s pretend I didn’t write that. ***

Sex is part of her job.

The employee’s attorney argued, to no avail, that being injured while having sex “during an interval or interlude within an overall period or episode of work” was no different than being hurt doing other recreational activities. No such luck, as the employee’s comp claim was denied, based on a finding that that sexual activity “was not an ordinary incident of an overnight stay like showering, sleeping or eating”.